Yes! Anyone can wear a lei at any time for any reason. It's acceptable to make one yourself or to give one to someone else. When giving a lei as a gift it is customary to give the lei recipient a kiss on each cheek when adorning them in their lei. You can wear more than one lei at a time and there is no restriction to time, place, or occasion!

The proper way to wear lei is to arrange it gently draped over the shoulders where it can hang from both the front and back. The only restriction is that, traditionally, pregnant or nursing women should be given a open lei or a head haku instead of a closed lei. This symbolizes luck for the baby. A lei should be worn for the entirety of an event or celebration. It is considered rude to remove it in the presence of the person who gave it to you, but if you must do so for practical reasons, the removed lei should be displayed proudly for all to see.

The history of disposing of the lei is also symblomatic. The lei was seen as something special, which should never be disposed of like garbage. It is often perceived that if the lei is put into the trash, it's like throwing out the love of the person who gave it. The traditional way is to return the lei to the earth by hanging it on a stone, tree branch, or other natural location or by burying it or burning it. The lei is considered a gift from the earth and so it should be returned.